The present invention generally relates to robotic vehicles and, in a representatively illustrated embodiment thereof, more particularly relates to a specially designed robotic vehicle with wheeled legs and a virtual drive transmission.
In the construction of small robotic vehicles which manipulate objects, one of the design challenges presented is to provide the vehicle with a flexible driving capability for maneuvering over a variety of types of terrain. In some instances, a circular wheel may perform well on flat or substantially smooth terrain, but perform poorly, or not at all, on rough or irregular terrain. The need to traverse various types of terrain is particularly acute with robotic vehicles intended for disaster assistance or search-and-rescue functions.
In view of these design difficulties it can be seen that a need exists for a robotic platform equipped with a drive system capable of traversing various types of terrain. It is to this need that the present invention is primarily directed.